Villanova Men’s Basketball Enters Top 30 After Wisconsin Win

Villanova Men’s Basketball cracked the top 30 in both the NET Rankings and KenPom Ratings for the first time this season after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers 76-66 in overtime on Friday, Dec. 19. While the game took place in Milwaukee, it counted as a neutral site rather than a road game because the Badgers hail from Madison, 80 miles down the road.

That made the game a Quadrant 2 win rather than Quadrant 1, but the Wildcats (9-2) still managed to climb to No. 29 in both metrics. With out-of-conference play concluded, Villanova now holds an 0-2 record in Quad 1, 1-0 in Quadrants 2 and 3, and a 7-0 record in Quadrant 4, a much better result than they faced at this time last season with losses to teams like Columbia.

Per KenPom, the Wildcats rank No. 28 and No. 36 in offensive and defensive efficiency, putting on a strong performance on both ends of the court. According to teamrankings.com, Villanova has an 85.2 percent chance of making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022: hitting the 22-win benchmark will make them a near lock with a 98.9 percent chance of an at-large bid.

Big East play will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 23 when the Wildcats travel to Newark to take on a resurgent Seton Hall squad at the Prudential Center. Picked to finish last in the conference in a preseason poll, the Pirates have an 11-1 record and the No. 36 spot in the NET rankings, making this an opportunity for Villanova to pick up their first Quad 1 win.